Statement on Mark Center

Fairfax County and others have been concerned about increased traffic
and the implementation of a transportation management plan related to the
opening of the new the Department of Defense facility at the Mark Center
in Alexandria. Those concerns were heightened and validated earlier
this month when the Inspector General of the Department of Defense
published a report that was critical of the environmental assessment
completed by the United States Army Corps of Engineers in 2008.

Following the release of that report by the Inspector General, it was
suggested that Fairfax County should consider taking legal action to
force the Army to address the traffic management issues raised by the
Inspector General. Fairfax County has reviewed the matter, and while
we remain concerned about the significant traffic impact expected from
that new facility, we have determined that federal law does not give
the County an opportunity to challenge that environmental assessment at
this time. We will continue to explore all of our options both
legally and legislatively with our federal legislative delegation.